Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 336, Step Two: Trimming Its Wings!

"as expected……"

The gilded beast-shaped incense burner in the Qianqing Palace emitted wisps of blue smoke. Zhu Houcong leaned against the soft couch, casually tossing aside the memorial he was reading.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows in his sunken eye sockets, and a faint, cold smile played on his lips.

When the Second Prince gave his confession, Zhu Houcong immediately knew that the boy was desperate and starting to make baseless accusations.

But then I thought, well done!

The crown prince is no longer suitable, and none of the remaining sons seem to be any easy to deal with.

He would not allow these princes, who had been pestering the two chief ministers for knowledge while studying in the Imperial Study, to have any chance of vying for the position of crown prince.

Taking advantage of this case to break out, we can teach them a lesson.

First, seize the title of prince, then move him back to the palace. It's not too late to restore him once he's been properly disciplined.

Zhu Houcong believed that he was still very benevolent and would never kill his three sons in a single day like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

It's just a minor punishment to serve as a warning.

Of course, Zhu Houcong also anticipated that his ministers would take the Tang Dynasty's story as a warning and would never approve of such behavior.

But so what?
In the previous twenty years, he would have had to contend with his ministers, divide and weaken them, and then suppress and control them.

Now it's even better; they don't even need to attend court anymore, they can just hide in the inner palace.

As for the protests from the court officials...

Let the two cabinet ministers suppress it!
As the head of all officials, the emperor's cabinet minister, isn't this the kind of person who is meant to handle this matter?

As for the possibility that Yan Song and Xia Yan might both be unwilling...

Do not!
In recent years, they have obeyed every word and carried out everything according to his own wishes. Zhu Houcong no longer considers the possibility of disobeying the imperial decree!

Compared to his ministers, he seemed to remember Hai Rui.

That thin, upright face, that unwavering and indomitable gaze.

I felt somewhat guilty in front of this person.

They can't win an argument on ordinary days, and now that something like this has happened, if they really had to confront each other, they would probably only bring shame upon themselves.

Therefore, Zhu Houcong specifically ordered that there would be no lectures for the next few days, and Hai Rui was not seen outside the Wenhua Hall.

However, a few days later...

As the three memorials arrived, Zhu Houcong's face darkened.

As I read through them one by one, it became even more unbelievable.

The three memorials came from three important officials of the imperial court.

Grand Secretary Yan Song, Second Grand Secretary Xia Yan, and Vice Minister of Rites Hai Yue.

In Jiajing's eyes, high-ranking officials who held differing political views and had many conflicts had, for the first time, reached a consensus.

I urge the Emperor to convene a court session and thoroughly investigate the case of the prince!
"How dare you do this?"

Zhu Houcong was both shocked and angry, as well as disappointed.

If he were to depose the three princes now that he is in power, wouldn't the whole world say that he is cold-hearted and has no fatherly affection?

His trusted minister was so ignorant!

Disappointment leads to greater vigilance.

Since Zhu Houcong succeeded to the throne, he has been well-versed in the ways of power struggles. Whether it was the Great Rites Controversy or the implementation of the New Policies, there were no shortage of obstacles, but in the end, the court officials always bowed down and he was completely under control.

If we were to name the most intense and longest-lasting protests, it would be the calls to establish a crown prince.

Now, when it comes to princes, everyone is so in agreement.

Lord, king, minister, father, father, son.

This ethical code had long been ingrained in the minds of the subjects.

Otherwise, the emperor, as the sovereign and father of the Ming Dynasty, would not be able to gain the love and recognition of his subjects.

As an emperor, he had long been accustomed to the subtle influence of rule, directly ignoring the benefits and his mind was filled with his usually obedient ministers. However, the fact that the prince dared to unite against him for the sake of the prince raised his vigilance to the extreme.

But it's absolutely impossible for him to rule as regent...

The more this is the case, the less likely they are to go out and face the court officials directly!
"Summon Zhang Zuo! Summon Zhang Zuo!!"

Zhang Zuo hurriedly entered the hall and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong looked at him, his expression returning to its calm and cold tone: "Are you aware that in the case of the Three Princes, the previous dynasty intended for a joint trial by the three judicial departments, with cross-examination in court?"

"Ok?"

Zhang Zuo was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed immediately.

The case had no evidence whatsoever, only the second prince's confession. Even the confession couldn't explain how he conspired with the third and fourth princes. If it were to be publicly interrogated, wouldn't it be exposed in an instant?
He originally didn't want to implicate multiple princes; he only convicted them by trying to guess the emperor's intentions. Now, he had no choice but to go all the way. He gritted his teeth and said, "This concerns the royal reputation. How can we make such a big fuss about it?"

Zhu Houcong sighed softly: "I also do not wish to wage a major war. You must quickly investigate this case thoroughly, make sure the evidence is complete, and never wrong my son!"

Zhang Zuo's heart sank.

This is to make him collect enough "witness testimony" and "physical evidence"!

I used to do ordinary dirty work.

Even if he dies, he will be the only one to die.

Now it has become a dirty job of slandering the prince.

If this happens, his entire clan will die!

Zhu Houcong waved his hand and said, "Summon Lu Bin to see me."

"Yes!" Zhang Zuo kowtowed and slowly withdrew.

Lu Bin is his deputy, currently the second-in-command among the secret guards. He comes from the Liyuan Society and is said to have been among the first to surrender. He then turned around and carried out a large-scale purge of the Liyuan Society members, which allowed him to rise to power.

Zhang Zuo, who came from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, could not possibly look down on someone of such a background. They had several conflicts, and their relationship was extremely poor; they both wished the other would disappear.

Therefore, when Jiajing summoned Lu Bin, the meaning was very clear.

You are unwilling to do it.

There are plenty of people willing to do it.

And if that person does it for you, you might end up taking the blame, and afterwards you might even face a terrible fate!
"Ugh!"

Back in the guards' quarters, Zhang Zuo slowly buried his head in his hands, thinking of his wife, children, and elderly parents at home, and even more so of Wang Zuo, the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The two men have different surnames, but the same given name, Zuo, which suggests they could both become loyal ministers who assist a wise ruler.

Once upon a time, he also hoped to become that kind of person, to be ranked in the imperial court and to be respected by others, but he ended up in this state.

"I need to make arrangements for what happens to me after I die!"

"But who can I entrust this to... The officials of the previous dynasty regarded us as the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard regarded us as enemies. Who can I entrust this to?"

This is precisely the most awkward situation for the secret guards.

Unlike the Eastern Depot and Western Depot, which are open government agencies, the Secret Guards, although also selected from the elite of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and having taken over the network of informants of the Liyuan Society throughout the prefectures, have never been officially recognized.

To avoid suspicion, the emperor only made a vague promise that once someone had made an unparalleled contribution, they could be placed under the direct control of the inner court and placed on par with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

As a result, this secret guard office now has neither official badges nor uniforms, nor a formal salary, making it resemble a clandestine mistress.

Even some of the best recruits selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard tried every means to find connections so that they could still wear the Embroidered Uniform Guard's robes during the day to clock in and earn a salary there.

If even the secret guards in the capital were facing such difficulties, it was even more so for those outside the capital.

Based on the intelligence gathered by Zhang Zuo over this period, it is basically certain that the group of secret guards sent out either mingled with those who surrendered to the Liyuan Society or were bribed by local gentry and powerful figures. They are simply incapable of fulfilling their role of monitoring the entire country.

How can you expect a horse to run without feeding it?

Even Li Yuanshe didn't go this far.

'The Emperor…the supreme ruler…bah!'

'He's clearly a cowardly and incompetent ruler...'

Zhang Zuo grew increasingly angry as he thought about it, and hatred gradually surfaced in his eyes.

This resentment had been brewing for a long time; the respectful demeanor he displayed when meeting the emperor was merely a facade, a forced attempt to suppress it.

Witnessing the emperor's shameful behavior of retreating to the inner palace, shirking responsibility, and refusing to face his officials, I have finally shattered the last shred of reverence.

The emperor is old.

It has long lost the imposing presence it once had in suppressing its ministers.

She could only show off her power to them in the harem.

He even thought of the Renyin Palace Coup...

Unfortunately, it's impossible.

Zhang Zuo is the leader of the secret guards, yet he finds it difficult to command them as easily as he would his own limbs.

Despite his many complaints, the position of commander of the secret guards was still coveted by countless eyes.

Outsiders only see the glamour—serving before the emperor, submitting secret reports, and receiving personal instructions from the emperor—but they don't know that this seemingly prestigious job is actually a life-or-death situation, doing the dirtiest work, taking the blame for the worst, and facing utter ruin with the slightest mistake.

Zhang Zuo had no words to express his bitterness. He sighed deeply a few times and finally got up dejectedly.

I've vented my frustrations, time to get on with my business!
The night was as dark as ink, and the vermilion walls of the Forbidden City gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

He walked slowly out of the Xihua Gate and pulled his black cloak tighter around himself.

However, before they had walked even half a street, four people suddenly appeared out of nowhere from around the corner.

The scabbard at his waist gleamed coldly, a typical feature of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhang Zuo usually had personal guards, but he didn't bring any today. His expression changed subconsciously, but after carefully examining the leader, his expression became strange again: "Commander Hong... Commander Lu has returned?"

The one leading the group was Hong Qi, who nodded slightly: "Not bad!"

Zhang Zuo said in a low voice, "So, Commander Lu wants me to go?"

Hong Qi placed his hand on the scabbard, his voice slightly hoarse and carrying a murderous aura: "It's good that Commander Zhang knows. Would you be willing to make the trip?"

"Hold your hand! I'm willing! I'm willing!"

Zhang Zuo simply raised his hands, letting the other party fasten a pair of shackles on his wrists.

The shackles were icy cold, yet he couldn't help but smile.

This time, it was Hong Qi's turn to be surprised.

Although the four of them were top-notch fighters, and they had backup in secret, and the other side had no subordinates with them, they were already quite confident. But this was still a bit too submissive.
Seems like he's actually quite happy about being arrested?

However, since the other party was ultimately a trusted confidant of His Majesty, their lack of resistance saved Hong Qi from further conflict. Without further thought, Hong Qi said in a deep voice, "Please, Commander Zhang, come with us!"

However, Zhang Zuo's eyes darted around, but he lowered his voice and said, "Is taking just me enough?"

"Ok?"

Zhang Zuo hurriedly said, "I know that Lu Bin, Zhao Hong, and Wu Yongnian, the leaders of this group of secret guards, are currently at Zuixianlou in the south of the city. Why don't I take you there?"

Hong Qi frowned: "What tricks are you playing?"

"Fancy?"

Zhang Zuo finally couldn't suppress his smile: "Commander Hong is overthinking it. This is just an internal power struggle within my secret guards. Even if I am taken away, I will never allow anyone else in the guards to gain power, especially those who originally came from the bandit gang. I cannot let them use this to rise to power and disrupt the court!"

(End of this chapter)